Apparatus for reproducing copies of writings



(No Model.)

A M. A. LEVY. APPARATUS FOR. RE PR ODUGING COPIES OF WRITINGS, DRAWINGS, &c. No. 412,635. Patented Oct. 8, 1889.

A? mt A in W a U ITED STATES Firms.

PATENT MARC ASHER LEVY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,635, dated October 8, 1889.

Application filed February 21, 1889. Serial No. 300,777. (No model.)

To an whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARC ASHER LEVY, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Reproducing Copies of Writings, Drawings, Music, &,c., of which the following is a full and clear description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to provide an easy method and simple apparatus for duplicating copies of writings, type-writing, drawings, music, &c., obviating the drawbacks and disadvantages of processes or apparatus at present known, which require either washing, cleaning, or melting, or necessitates the use of printing-ink and inking-rollers.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my apparatus, and Fig. 2 is an end sectional view of the same.

Similar letters indicate like parts.

In carrying out my invention I make a pad B, about an eighth of an inch thick and any desired width andlength, of blotting-paper or any other absorbent material. I coat the back edges and a border-say an inch widearound the face of the pad with any waterproof composition, such as rubber dissolved in naphtha. v

I now make a composition as follows: I take twenty parts glucose and mix with seventy-five parts of whiting and five parts of diluted carbolic acid. This is thoroughly ground together in a paint-mill and allowed to dry till it gets to the consistency of putty. I coat the surface of the blotting-paper pad B, inside the water-proof border, with a layer of about an eighth inch thick of this composition O. I now take a composition composed of glycerine and gelatine and heat the same to 130 Fahrenheit. This will reduce the composition to the consistency of paint and can be spread over the surface of the pad with a brush, exactly the same as paint or varnish would be used. With a fine camels-hair brush I now coat the face of the pad with an even coating of this composition A, covering the entire surface, and allow the same to dry thoroughly.

The object and advantage of coating only a part of the surface of the pad B with the absorbent and gelatine compositions O andA are .to elevate the actual printing-surface of the apparatus above the outer border of the pad, thus allowing paper even much larger than the apparatus to be applied to the printing-surface without crushing the outer edges thereof, which is done in printing large sheets on the hektograph and other similar apparatus whose printing-surfaces are sunken below the edges of the pan or other parts of the apparatus. Another advantage of having the outer border of my apparatus lower than the printing-surface is, that after the sheets have been printed they can be removed quickly and conveniently by taking hold of the proj ecting edge of sheet, whereas in hektographs, 860., the suction of the gelatine causes the edges, as well as the rest of the sheet, to adhere closely thereto, rendering it troublesome to get hold of and remove the sheet.

I now take an ink composed of one part methyl Violet aniline mixed with five parts water. This must be heated till thoroughly dissolved.

In operating myimprovements the original required to be duplicated is written with the ink hereinbefore described on any highlycalendered large-sized paper that will not absorb the ink, but allow it to remain on the surface. While the Writing is being done the apparatus is immersed in water and allowed to soak, a suitable tray being provided for the purpose. The action of the water on the composition A softens same and renders it exceedingly sensitive and absorbent, and also saturates the porous pad with moisture. After soaking awhile the apparatus is removed from the bath and a blotter used to absorb any superfluous water. The original writing is now laid on the surface of the composition A, written side down, and allowed to remain for about a minute. Immediately the action of the moist composition commences to attract and absorb into itself the moisture of the original writing, and on its removal a negative is obtained on the surface of the composition. Copies are now quickly taken before the ink has time to beabsorbed through the composition A into the absorbent composition C and blotting-paper pad B.

A large number of copies maybe taken by simply laying a sheet of plain paper on negative and applying a little pressure by the hand or roller, thus forcingsome of the moistare out of the pad 13 into the composition 0, with which it is coated. After the desired number of copies are obtained the apparatus is laid aside and the absorbent composition 0 Will absorb all the ink out of the surface composition A, leaving the latter clean and ready for another impression.

It is obvious that the compositions described above can be made by varying the proportions to any desired extent, and various Wellknown equivalents can be used in place of the ingredients mentioned; also, by adding honey or glycerine the pad can bemade so as to need only occasional moistening.

The ink above mentioned I find the most satisfactory, though any copying-ink may be used, the number of copies to be obtained depending entirely on the strength of the ink.

I am aware thatvarious compositions and inks similar to the above have been used in this art, and I therefore disclaim any invention as to the composition; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a duplicating apparatus, the combination of an absorbent pad, an absorbent composition thickly applied to one surface of said pad, and a gelatine substance thinly-applied to the outersurface of said composition, all substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. Ina duplicating apparatus, the combination of an absorbent pad having its back, edges, and a border around its face rendered water-proof, an absorbent composition thickly applied to the face of said pad within said border, and a gelatine substance thinly applied to the outer surface of said composition, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

M. ASHER LEVY. \Vitnesses:

.T. CARTER, J. HENRY. 

